System and method for detecting access to an article or opening of a package

ABSTRACT

A system for detecting access to an article, including an RFID tag, a reader detecting the RFID tag via wireless communication, and a container including conductive material is described. The container encloses the article. The conductive material surrounds the RFID tag and substantially prevents wireless communication between the RFID tag and the reader unless the container is opened. Detection of the RFID tag may indicate that the container has been opened or the article has been accessed. A host computer may be notified of the detection and may receive from the RFID tag information associated with the article for inventory and accounting purposes.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Officepatent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A substantial expenditure of time and resources is associated withrestocking and resupplying operations, for example, the loading ofarticles into a vending machine. In a typical restocking procedure, apackage containing an article is brought close to the machine to beresupplied, the package is opened, and the article is loaded into themachine. In many situations it is necessary to keep track of the originof the articles being loaded, at what time the resupplying occurs, etc.This can be motivated by accounting and billing considerations; or toprevent fraud, unauthorized stock transfer, and the like; or it may berequired to allow the operation of the article and/or the vendingmachine itself. The manual recording of the resupplying event hasassociated costs, and entails the possibility of errors and delays.

Game ticket vending machines are a good example of the need for trackingsuch articles in real time. Instant lottery tickets, such as“scratch-off” or “pull-tab” tickets, if valid or activated, may beequivalent to cash. Accordingly, their handling requires extensivesafeguarding and careful control, similarly to the handling of currency.To prevent errors and abuse, some types of game tickets must beactivated at the time they are loaded into a game ticket vendingmachine. These tickets are often wholesaled to retailers on aconsignment basis; The retailers may be charged for tickets only whenthey are activated. At the time of loading a set (or “book”) of ticketsinto a vending machine, an operator or retailer may need to transmit theticket information to a central service or host computer in order tovalidate the tickets for play. Depending on the particular applicationand on the level of technical sophistication, the level of detail of thetransmitted information may range from a single identifier for an entire“book” of game tickets to detailed information on individual gametickets.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology offers an economicalway for tracking small items during transportation and storage. An RFIDtag is essentially a transmitter that can be embedded in the packagingof an article or in the article itself, and transmit information aboutthe location of the article, its date of manufacture, its origin anddestination, etc. The signal transmitted from the RFID tag is receivedby a reader, usually a larger, fixed radio receiver that in turn may bepart of a larger wired or wireless data network. An RFID tag can alsoreceive information from the reader or from other sources (built-insensors, wired and wireless networks, etc) and store this information ina built-in memory, for example recording events such as shipping, usage,and even tampering.

An RFID tag can be passive, receiving power from the reader throughelectromagnetic radiation, or active, having its own source of power,for example a battery. Semi-passive RFID tags comprise a source of powerfor the internal circuitry, but draw power from the reader for radiotransmission. In the following, by ‘passive RFID tag’ we will alsodenote semi-passive tags.

Possible applications proposed for RFID technology include tracking ofcontainers and rail cars, retail-level packaging, personnelidentification and access control. A host of RFID products andapplications are being introduced by major semiconductor, computer andsoftware companies. Standards for RFID equipment and communicationprotocols have been published by ISO (International StandardsOrganization), IEC (International Electro-Technical Commission) and AIM(Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility).

RFID tags may be used to track articles as they move along the supplychain, by placing readers at key locations, for example in handling andstorage facilities. However, accidental transmission may occur duringtransportation and storage if the RFID tag is for any reason brought tooclose to a reader which is located at a different stage along the supplychain. For example, an article could be stored in the same locationwhere the article is intended to be used, so that a reader designed todetect the usage of the article could incorrectly detect RFID tagsattached to articles being stored, and vice versa. The exact range ofcommunication for RFID technology depends on the power of the RFID tagtransmitter and the sensitivity of the reader, as well as onenvironmental conditions such as bodies causing signal reflections andsources of interference. Therefore, it may be impractical to rely on theRFID tag being in or out of the range of a specific reader.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,764 to Petite and U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,248 to Leedescribe vending machines using radio communication to interact with theusers and/or with the service provider.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,544 to Petsinger describes a holder with shieldingproperties, that may prevent surreptitious access to contactlesssmartcards.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,812 to Balderson et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,489to Israel describe the use of diffusion of various types of gas todetect the opening of a container of perishable goods such as food.

Two pending U.S. patent application (application Ser. No. 10/392,618,filed on Mar. 19, 2003, to Meehan; application Ser. No. 10/723,410,filed on Nov. 24, 2003, to Meehan et al.) describe the use of RFIDtechnology in game tickets. These applications are assigned to the ownerof the present application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network-based vending machine system,according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example interaction between a reader and severalRFID tags, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of communication between an RFID tag and areader, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of physical construction of the system,according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of physical construction of the system,according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of a sealing element.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example internal detection feature, according toan example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example procedure, according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example data structure employed to track articles,according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

In one aspect, the invention provides a system for detecting access toan article, including an RFID tag, a reader detecting the RFID tag viawireless communication, and a container including conductive material,the container enclosing the article, the conductive material surroundingthe RFID tag and substantially preventing wireless communication betweenthe RFID tag and the reader unless the container is opened. In anexample embodiment, the system may also include a memory in the RFIDtag, the memory containing information associated with the article, anda memory in the reader, the memory receiving the information associatedwith the article via wireless communication. In another embodiment, thesystem may also include a host computer in communication with thereader, the host computer receiving the information associated with thearticle from the memory in the reader.

The reader may be located in the proximity of a vending machine, forexample, outside the vending machine, attached to the vending machine,or inside the vending machine. In another embodiment, the system mayinclude a second reader located inside the vending machine, the secondreader detecting the RFID tag only if the RFID tag is placed inside thevending machine.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the article may be a gameticket, for example an instant lottery ticket, and the reader may belocated in the proximity of a game ticket vending machine. Theinformation associated with the article may identify the game ticket asbeing part of a pack of game tickets. In another embodiment, the articlemay be a pack of game tickets.

The container may include a lining including the conductive material andenclosing both the article and the RFID tag. In different embodiments ofthe present invention, the lining may include a metal foil, a metallizedplastic sheet, or a conductive mesh. In another embodiment, thecontainer may include a package and a sealing element, the packageenclosing the article, the sealing element including the conductivematerial, the sealing element preventing opening of the package unlessthe sealing element is opened. The sealing element may include twolayers of tape containing the conductive material, the RFID tag beingpositioned between the two layers of tape.

In another example embodiment of the present invention, the containermay include a second RFID tag located outside the conductive material,the wireless communication between the second RFID tag and the readerbeing substantially unaffected by the container being closed or open.The system may also include a memory, the memory storing an indicationthat the RFID tag has been detected by the reader. The memory may belocated in the RFID tag or in the reader.

In another embodiment, the system may also include a host computer incommunication with the reader, the host computer being notified by thereader of the detection of the RFID tag by the reader. The system mayalso include an indicator in communication with the reader to signal thedetection of the RFID tag by the reader.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for detectingaccess to an article, including bringing the article into proximity of areader, the article being enclosed in a container including conductingmaterial, the conductive material surrounding an RFID tag andsubstantially preventing wireless communication between the RFID tag andthe reader, opening the container, after the container is opened,detecting the RFID tag by the reader, and transmitting an indicationthat the RFID tag has been detected. The method may also includetransmitting information associated with the article from the RFID tagto the reader via wireless communication, notifying a host computer incommunication with the reader of the detection of the RFID tag, andtransmitting the information associated with the article to the hostcomputer. The method may include loading the article into the vendingmachine.

In one embodiment, the method may include detecting the RFID tag by asecond reader located inside the vending machine, the second readerdetecting the RFID tag only if the RFID tag is loaded into the vendingmachine. The method may include detecting a second RFID tag locatedoutside the conductive material, the wireless communication between thesecond RFID tag and the reader being substantially unaffected by thecontainer being closed or open. The method may also include storing in amemory an indication that the RFID tag has been detected by the reader.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a computer readablemedium, storing thereon program instructions that, when executed, causean executing system to detect an RFID tag, the RFID tag being located inproximity of an article, the detection of the RFID tag beingsubstantially prevented by a container surrounding the RFID tag untilthe container is opened, the container enclosing an article, andtransmit an indication that the RFID tag has been detected and thecontainer has been opened. The medium may also store programinstructions that, when executed, further cause an executing system totransmit information associated with the article from the RFID tag viawireless communication, transmit the information associated with thearticle to a host computer, detect a second RFID tag located outside theconductive material, the detection of the second RFID tag beingsubstantially unaffected by the container being closed or open.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network-based vending machine system,according to an example embodiment of the present invention. One or morehost computers 101 a-c may communicate through a network 102. One ormore vending machines 103 a-d may communicate with the host computersvia network 102, sending and receiving information concerning prices,sales, supply and maintenance operations, etc. Examples of vendingmachines that may be used or adapted for network operation are theLottery POS Terminals of the Altura family of products, produced byGTech Corp., West Greenwich, R.I.; Instant Ticket Dispensersmanufactured by Schafer Systems Inc., Adair, Iowa, and Take-A-TicketInc., Albany, Oreg.; Instant Ticket Vending Machines produced by GTechCorp., West Greenwich, R.I., Pollard Banknote Ltd., Winnipeg, Canada,and Scientific Games Corp., New York, N.Y.

Each vending machine 103 a-d may be in communication with one or moreRFID readers, located outside (104 a) or inside (104 b) the vendingmachine. RFID readers may also be configured as stand-alone elements.Stand-alone reader 104 c may be connected to a local-area network (LAN)107. Vending machines 103 c-d may also be connected to the LAN 107 andmay exchange data with the reader 104 c. The LAN 107 may be connectedwith network 102 through an interface 108, for example a router.Examples of RFID readers that could be used for such applications arethe RI-STU-MB2A (Series 2000 Standard Low Frequency Reader with RS-232Interface), RI-STU-251B (Series 2000 Low Frequency Reader S251B),RR-IDISC-MO2AB-B or RR-IDISC-MO2AB-BA Feig Vicinity/Proximity HighFrequency Reader Modules, and RR-IDISC-PR100-A or RR-IDISC-PR-USB FeigHigh Frequency Proximity Readers, all manufactured by Texas Instruments,Dallas, Tex.; and the MP9111 (125 kHz) and MP9112 (134 kHz) Low-Power,Multi-Protocol Readers, manufactured by SAMSys, Richmond Hill, Ontario,Canada. It should be noted that these particular commercial products arelisted by way of example, and commercial applications may use modifiedversions of these or other manufacturers.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example interaction between a reader and severalRFID tags, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.A vending machine 210 may be in communication with a reader 211. Thereader 211 in this example may be located outside the vending machine210. In this example, two internal RFID tags 201 a and 201 b may belocated in proximity to two articles 202 a and 202 b, respectively,e.g., attached to the articles or attached to the inside of a package orbox containing the articles. Examples of low-cost, passive RFID tags arethe RI-I01-110A and RI-I11-110A TagIt HF Inlay products and theRI-TRP-RR2B Glass Transponder, manufactured by Texas Instruments,Dallas, Tex. In this example, for the sake of illustration, two articlesare shown. Article 202 a is still in storage, while article 202 b isbeing accessed, for example, in order to be loaded into a vendingmachine. The internal RFID tag 201 a and article 202 a are enclosed in acontainer 203 a. The container may have electromagnetic shieldingproperties, substantially blocking electromagnetic radiation at thefrequencies of interest for radio communication and preventing thereader from detecting the internal RFID tag. As a secondary effect, inthe case of a passive or semi-passive RFID tag the container may alsoblock transmission from the reader to the internal RFID tag, thereforepreventing the powering of the RFID tag transmission circuitry. Howeverthe container may also be configured to disable an active (fullyself-powered) RFID tag by simply blocking transmission coming from theRFID tag.

Container 203 a substantially impairs radio communication, preventingthe unintentional detection of the internal RFID tag 201 a, for exampleduring transportation, handling or storage. Even when the article 202 ais stored well within the reception range of the reader 211, thepresence of the conductive container 203 a may ensure that the internalRFID tag 201 a will not be detected as long as the container 203 aremains closed.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a container 203 b enclosing the internal RFIDtag 201 b and article 202 b has been opened. Since the shieldingproperties of the container 203 b are substantially reduced by itshaving been opened, a wireless communication link 205 b may beestablished between reader 211 and the internal RFID tag 201 b. Thedetection of the internal RFID tag 201 b by reader 211 may indicate thatthe article 202 b has been accessed.

In the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, two additional externalRFID tags 204 a and 204 b may be located outside containers 203 a and203 b, respectively. These external RFID tags may be attached to theouter surface of the containers, for example. The external RFID tags aresubstantially unaffected by the containers 203 a and 203 b being closedor open, therefore a wireless communication link 205 a may beestablished between the reader 211 and the external RFID tag 204 a forpurposes of tracking the location of the article 202 a even if thecontainer 203 a is closed, for example during storage. Likewise, awireless communication link 205 c may be established between the reader211 and the external RFID tag 204 b before the container 203 b isopened. The presence of the external RFID tags 204 a and 204 b may alsoprovide a check of the integrity of the container. If the reader detectsthe external RFID tag 201 b but not the internal RFID tag 204 b, thatmay be an indication that something is wrong with the container (damage,tampering, etc).

The detection of the internal RFID tag 201 b by the reader 211 maytrigger a sequence of events suggested by the particular application. Ina simple example embodiment, an indicator 212, for example a displayelement, is located in the vicinity of the reader and in communicationwith the reader, to provide a user 213 with an indication of the openingof the container. As previously illustrated in FIG. 1, the vendingmachine or the reader can also notify a host computer of the detectionof the internal or external RFID tag through a network.

While the example embodiment in FIG. 2 only illustrates one reader 211and two internal RFID tags 201 a-b, it will be appreciated that anynumber of readers may be deployed, and that any number of RFID tags maybe as simultaneously supported by those readers, detecting many possiblecombinations of closed and open containers. Since typical interactionsbetween readers and RFID tags occur within milliseconds, a large numberof articles may be simultaneously tracked in real time. In the exampleof a game ticket vending machine, an RFID tag may be associated witheach single ticket, or with an entire pack or book of tickets, asdescribed in U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 10/392,618 and10/723,410. In either case, a container may enclose any number of RFIDtags which may be detected almost simultaneously by the reader at thetime the container is opened.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of communication between an RFID tag and areader, according to an example embodiment of the present invention. AnRFID tag 310 may include a control logic 301. The control logic 301 mayreceive and transmit data via a radio frequency interface 302 and anantenna 303. The control logic 301 may also read and write informationin a memory 304. Memory 304 may be a semiconductor memory, for example anonvolatile memory such as a Flash-EEPROM. Elements 301, 302, 303 and304 may all be fabricated on a single semiconductor chip, or may bephysically separate. Memory 304 may contain information associated withan article (not shown) located in proximity of the RFID tag 310, e.g.,attached to the RFID tag. In the example of a game ticket, theinformation stored in memory 304 may include an individual ticketnumber, or the information may simply identify the game ticket as beingpart of a particular pack of game tickets. The wireless communicationlink 313 may enable exchange of information between the RFID tag 310 anda reader 311. Similarly to the RFID tag, the reader 311 may include acontrol logic 321, which may receive and transmit data via a radiofrequency interface 322 and an antenna 323. The control logic 321 mayalso read and write information in a memory 324. Memory 324 may be asemiconductor memory, for example a DRAM, or a magnetic memory, forexample a hard disk.

After the wireless communication link 313 has been established, thecontents of the RFID tag memory 304 may be transmitted to the readermemory 324. Additionally, in this example embodiment, the reader 311 mayinclude an interface 325 to a vending machine 312. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the vending machine may forward any information associated withthe article to a host computer via a data network: e.g., for inventory,accounting and billing purposes.

While the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 refers to a specificarrangement of the elements, the person skilled in the art willunderstand that other arrangements are possible. In particular, a memorymay be included in the system to simply record that the RFID tag hasbeen accessed. This memory may be located for example on the RFID tagitself, or in the reader. Such configuration may provide a simpler wayof detecting access to the articles being tracked.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of physical construction of the system,according to an example embodiment of the present invention. A package404, for example made of paper, cardboard or plastic, may be accompaniedby a lining 403 which includes a conductive material, for example, ametal. The lining may for example take the form of a metal foil,metallized plastic sheet, etc. The lining may enclose both the article401 and the internal RFID tag 402. Note that the conductive lining maybe placed inside the package, as illustrated in FIG. 4, or outside thepackage. Also note that the lining need not be sealed or continuous, butthe lining may take the form of a mesh or grid, as long as the liningcan effectively block electromagnetic radiation at the frequencies ofinterest for RFID transmission. In this example, an external RFID tag405 may be located outside the lining, but inside the package, in orderto protect the tag from damage.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of physical construction of the system,according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Anarticle 501 may be enclosed in a package 502. The package 502 may bemade of conventional materials such as paper, cardboard, or plastic. Thepackage 502 may be sealed by a sealing element 503, which may take theform of an adhesive tape. The sealing element 503 may enclose theinternal RFID tag 504. The sealing element may have electromagneticshielding properties. The sealing element may be constructed in such away that the shielding properties are lost when the seal is opened. Theexternal RFID tag 505 may be also positioned anywhere inside or outsideto the package 502, or affixed to the article 501.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of a sealing element that maybe used as an embodiment of element 503 in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 illustrates across-section of the package 502 in FIG. 5 and the sealing element 503.In this example, the sealing element 503 may be an adhesive seal joiningtwo walls of the package 502. It will be appreciated that a metallizedor conductive sealing element may be advantageously used. The sealingelement 503 may take the form of an outer layer 601 and an inner layer602. Both layers 601 and 602 may be two layers of adhesive tapecontaining a conductive material, the internal RFID tag 504 beingsandwiched between the two layers. A padding element 603 may providemechanical stability for the seal by filling the gap around the internalRFID tag 504. The container may be opened for example by pulling thelayer 601, thus exposing the internal RFID tag 504.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example internal detection feature, according toan example embodiment of the present invention. A vending machine 703may be in communication with an external reader 704. The external readermay be mounted on the exterior of the vending machine, installed as astand-alone element, or in some other manner. An additional internalreader 705 may also be located inside the vending machine. The internalreader 705 may be configured so that the internal reader will onlydetect an RFID tag which is located inside the machine, via wirelesslink 706 b. The detection can be accomplished, for example, by using areader with a very short reception range (for example, a fewcentimeters), or by suitable shielding of the vending machine itself. Inthis example, an RFID tag 702 may be affixed to the article 701, so thatthe RFID tag is loaded into the machine along with the article. Thedetection of the RFID tag 702 by the internal reader 705 may indicatethat the article has been loaded into the machine. The vending machinemay also transmit information concerning the internal detection to ahost computer according to the scheme previously illustrated in FIG. 1.The RFID tag 702 may also establish a wireless link 706 a with theexternal reader 704.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example procedure, according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. For purposes of illustration only,three correlated flowcharts are illustrated, referring to a vendingmachine operator, an RFID system, and a host computer. In 801, acontainer enclosing both an article and an internal RFID tag may bebrought into proximity of a reader, for example by an operator. In 811,the external RFID tag may be detected, for example by the reader. In 802the container may be then opened. Opening the container may enable thereader to detect the internal RFID tag (812). After or during detection,an information associated with the article and stored in an internalRFID tag memory may be transmitted, for example from the internal RFIDtag to a reader, and stored for example in a reader memory (813). In814, the information may be retransmitted, for example from the readerto a host computer. A record may be made, for example by the hostcomputer, of the fact that the article has been accessed, for example,that a pack of lottery tickets has been opened (821). In 815, a user maybe notified of the detection of the internal RFID tag via an indication,such as a visual indication. In the exemplary embodiment of theresupplying of a vending machine, the article may be loaded into thevending machine (803). Loading of the article allows detection of theinternal RFID tag, the external RFID tag, or both, for example by aninternal reader (816). In 817, the internal detection may be transmittedto the host computer. A record may be made, for example by the hostcomputer, of the loading of the ticket pack (822) and billing or otheraccounting procedure may be initiated (823).

Although FIG. 8 illustrates a specific embodiment of the method, theperson skilled in the art will understand that other embodiments arepossible, wherein the operations are differently arranged and take placein different elements of the system. For example, part of the readerfunctionality and the host computer functionality illustrated in FIG. 8may be implemented in the vending machine itself, if the vending machineis provided with a microprocessor, or in some other piece of equipmentin local or remote communication with the other elements. Likewise, someof the reader and the host computer functionalities may be exchanged,for example the reader incorporating a database to record access to thearticles, and the host computer including visual means to notify a userof the access to the articles.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example data structure employed to track articles,according to an example embodiment of the present invention. A datastructure 901 may include a number of records 902, each comprising anumber of fields 903. Fields may include identification information suchas the ticket number 911 and pack number 912, and the corresponding RFIDcode 913. To track the access and loading process, the fields may alsoinclude boolean fields such as detection of the external tag 914(signaling handling of the pack in proximity of the vending machine),detection of the internal tag 915 (signaling opening of the container),and detection by the internal reader 916 (signaling loading of thearticle into the vending machine). In alternative to boolean values,time stamps may be used, with null values denoting events that haven'toccurred, and valid times recording the times of the detection of theexternal tag, detection of the internal tag, and detection by theinternal reader. Other valid data types include numerical counterscorresponding to the number of detections, character strings, and allthe variants thereof that are known from the art.

The exemplary embodiments of the invention shown here relate to articlesused as supplies in vending machines, in particular game tickets to beloaded into game ticket vending machines. However it will be appreciatedthat the possible embodiments of the invention extend to any type ofapplications wherein it is desirable to determine in real time whicharticles have been consumed, loaded, or in general physically accessed.Examples include supplies for office equipment such as printers andcopiers (paper, toner and ink cartridges, ribbons, etc.); kegs andbottles for beverage fountains and condiment dispensers in restaurants,bars, and other establishments; etc.

Although the invention has been described in detail including thepreferred embodiments thereof, such description is for illustrativepurposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variationsincluding improvements may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

1. A system for detecting access to an article, comprising: an RFID tag;a reader located in the proximity of a vending machine, the readerdetecting the RFID tag via wireless communication; a container includingconductive material, the container enclosing the article, the conductivematerial surrounding the RFID tag and substantially preventing wirelesscommunication between the RFID tag and the reader unless said containeris opened; a memory in the RFID tag, the memory containing informationassociated with the article; a memory in the reader, the memoryreceiving the information associated with the article via wirelesscommunication; a host computer in communication with the reader, thehost computer receiving the information associated with the article fromthe memory in the reader; a second reader located inside the vendingmachine, the second reader detecting the RFID tag only if the RFID tagis placed inside the vending machine; and a second RFID tag locatedoutside the conductive material, the wireless communication between theexternal RFID tag and the reader being substantially unaffected by thecontainer being closed or open.
 2. A system for detecting access to anarticle, comprising: an RFID tag; a reader detecting the RFID tag viawireless communication; and a container including conductive material,the container enclosing the article, the conductive material surroundingthe RFID tag and substantially preventing wireless communication betweenthe RFID tag and the reader unless said container is opened.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprising: a memory in the RFID tag, thememory containing information associated with the article; and memory inthe reader, the memory receiving the information associated with thearticle via wireless communication.
 4. The system of claim 3, furthercomprising: a host computer in communication with the reader, the hostcomputer receiving the information associated with the article from thememory in the reader.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the reader islocated in the proximity of a vending machine.
 6. The system of claim 5,wherein the reader is located outside the vending machine.
 7. The systemof claim 6, wherein the reader is attached to the vending machine. 8.The system of claim 5, wherein the reader is located inside the vendingmachine.
 9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second readerlocated inside the vending machine, the second reader detecting the RFIDtag only if the RFID tag is placed inside the vending machine.
 10. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein the article is a game ticket, and the readeris located in the proximity of a game ticket vending machine.
 11. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the articleidentifies the game ticket as being part of a pack of game tickets. 12.The system of claim 10, wherein the game ticket is an instant lotteryticket, and the game ticket vending machine is an instant lottery ticketvending machine.
 13. The system of claim 2, wherein the article is apack of game tickets, and the reader is located in the proximity of agame ticket vending machine.
 14. The system of claim 2, wherein thecontainer comprises a lining, the lining including the conductivematerial, the lining enclosing both the article and the RFID tag. 15.The system of claim 14, wherein the lining comprises a metal foil. 16.The system of claim 14, wherein the lining comprises a metallizedplastic sheet.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the lining comprisesa conductive mesh.
 18. The system of claim 2, wherein the containercomprises: a package; and a sealing element, the package enclosing thearticle, the sealing element including the conductive material, thesealing element preventing opening of the package unless said sealingelement is opened.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sealingelement comprises: two layers of tape containing the conductivematerial, the RFID tag being positioned between the two layers of tape.20. The system of claim 2, wherein the container further comprises asecond RFID tag located outside the conductive material, the wirelesscommunication between the second RFID tag and the reader beingsubstantially unaffected by the container being closed or open.
 21. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprising: a memory, the memory storing anindication that the RFID tag has been detected by the reader.
 22. Thesystem of claim 21, wherein the memory is in the RFID tag.
 23. Thesystem of claim 21, wherein the memory is in the reader.
 24. The systemof claim 2, further comprising a host computer in communication with thereader, the host computer being notified by the reader of the detectionof the RFID tag by the reader.
 25. The system of claim 2, furthercomprising an indicator in communication with the reader to signal thedetection of the RFID tag by the reader.
 26. The system of claim 2,wherein the RFID tag is an active RFID tag.
 27. The system of claim 2,wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.
 28. A method for detectingaccess to an article, comprising: bringing the article into proximity ofa reader, the article being enclosed in a container including conductingmaterial, the conductive material surrounding an RFID tag andsubstantially preventing wireless communication between the RFID tag andthe reader; opening the container; after the container is opened,detecting the RFID tag by the reader; and transmitting an indicationthat the RFID tag has been detected.
 29. The method of claim 28, furthercomprising: transmitting information associated with the article fromthe RFID tag to the reader via wireless communication.
 30. The method ofclaim 29, further comprising: notifying a host computer in communicationwith the reader of the detection of the RFID tag, and transmitting theinformation associated with the article to the host computer.
 31. Themethod of claim 28, wherein the reader is located in the proximity of avending machine.
 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising: loadingthe article into the vending machine.
 33. The method of claim 31,wherein the reader is located outside the vending machine.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, wherein the reader is attached to the vendingmachine.
 35. The method of claim 31, wherein the reader is locatedinside the vending machine.
 36. The method of claim 31, furthercomprising: detecting the RFID tag by a second reader located inside thevending machine, the second reader detecting the RFID tag only if theRFID tag is loaded into the vending machine.
 37. The method of claim 29,wherein the article is a game ticket, and the reader is located in theproximity of a game ticket vending machine.
 38. The method of claim 37,wherein the information associated with the article identifies the gameticket as being part of a pack of game tickets.
 39. The method of claim37, wherein the game ticket is an instant lottery ticket, and the gameticket vending machine is an instant lottery ticket vending machine. 40.The method of claim 28, wherein the article is a pack of game tickets,and the reader is located in the proximity of a game ticket vendingmachine.
 41. The method of claim 28, wherein the container comprises alining, the lining including the conductive material, the liningenclosing both the article and the RFID tag.
 42. The method of claim 28,wherein the lining comprises a metal foil.
 43. The method of claim 28,wherein the lining comprises a metallized plastic sheet.
 44. The methodof claim 28, wherein the lining comprises a conductive mesh.
 45. Themethod of claim 28, wherein the container comprises: a package; and asealing element, the package enclosing the article, the sealing elementincluding the conductive material, the sealing element preventingopening of the package unless said sealing element is opened.
 46. Themethod of claim 45, wherein the sealing element comprises: two layers oftape containing the conductive material, the RFID tag being positionedbetween the two layers of tape.
 47. The method of claim 28, furthercomprising: detecting a second RFID tag located outside the conductivematerial, the wireless communication between the second RFID tag and thereader being substantially unaffected by the container being closed oropen.
 48. The method of claim 28, further comprising: storing in amemory an indication that the RFID tag has been detected by the reader.49. The method of claim 48, wherein the memory is in the RFID tag. 50.The method of claim 48, wherein the memory is in the reader.
 51. Themethod of claim 28, further comprising: notifying a host computer incommunication with the reader of the detection of the RFID tag by thereader.
 52. The method of claim 28, further comprising: signaling thedetection of the RFID tag by the reader by an indicator in communicationwith the reader.
 53. The method of claim 28, wherein the RFID tag is anactive RFID tag.
 54. The method of claim 28, wherein the RFID tag is apassive RFID tag.
 55. A computer-readable medium, storing thereonprogram instructions that, when executed, cause an executing system to:detect an RFID tag, the RFID tag being located in proximity of anarticle, the detection of the RFID tag being substantially prevented bya container surrounding the RFID tag until the container is opened, thecontainer enclosing an article; and transmit an indication that the RFIDtag has been detected and the container has been opened.
 56. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 55, storing thereon programinstructions that, when executed, further cause an executing system to:transmit information associated with the article from the RFID tag viawireless communication; transmit the information associated with thearticle to a host computer; and detect a second RFID tag located outsidethe conductive material, the detection of the second RFID tag beingsubstantially unaffected by the container being closed or open.